Man accused of stealing weapon, ID from Border Patrol officer

LAS CRUCES >> In the grips of an apparent panic attack, a Las Cruces man fired a handgun inside his apartment in October -- an act that, a couple months later, led authorities to accuse him of stealing the weapon and other items from a Border Patrol agent's pickup truck.

A Doña Ana County grand jury recently indicted Jaime A. Moore, 22, on aggravated burglary and credit card theft, both felonies, according to a criminal complaint filed in Magistrate Court. Moore is also facing a pair of misdemeanor charges for a series of crimes that police allege unfolded between early September and Halloween.

A Border Patrol agent called Las Cruces police on Sept. 5 to report that his GMC Sierra pickup truck had been burgled while it sat near his home in the 500 block of Canyon Point. Among the items missing: a Glock 40-caliber handgun with a laser sight, a holster, a credit card, and a law enforcement ID badge.

Then, just before 5:30 a.m. on Oct. 31, police responded to a report of shots fired at Moore's apartment in the 1800 block of Rentfrow. Police found bullet holes in a wall and the ceiling of his apartment, and 40-caliber casings on the floor.

Moore reportedly told a police officer that he'd gone to shut his screen door when he saw an unknown man pointing a gun at him. He slammed the door in that purported gunman's face, trapping his armed hand in the jamb. That's when the man fired off two rounds before fleeing, Moore told police.

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When pressed by investigators, Moore reportedly acknowledged that story was a lie, court documents state. He showed police a Glock handgun he kept hidden under his mattress, then admitted to firing it after he became scared that night.

Police discovered that the serial number on Moore's Glock matched the one reported stolen in September by the Border Patrol agent. He admitted to having the stolen items, but told police he did not know how he obtained them, according to court documents.

It's not clear if the stolen handgun was the Border Patrol agent's duty weapon. Police could not be reached Thursday for clarification.

Through credit card statements and surveillance footage, investigators also linked Moore to using the Border Patrol agent's stolen credit card at a gas station on University Avenue.

Moore is set to appear in 3rd Judicial District Court on Monday. A grand jury indicted him Dec. 19 on the charges.

Online jail records show Moore remains in custody at the Doña Ana County Detention Center. He's being held on a $7,500 bond, court documents state.

Police records show Moore had been approached by officers "numerous" times for looking into vehicles and acting suspiciously.

Moore is also accused of sex crimes and contributing to the delinquency of a minor in an unrelated case that's pending in Magistrate Court, according to court documents.

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